Sixteen months ago he had never played a down of college football, but the former Florida State walk-on not only signed with the Bucs in the spring, not only earned a spot on the practice squad in the fall, not only was promoted to the roster two weeks ago, but he is now playing a significant role on a team making a push for the NFL playoffs....

The NFL schedule is complicated enough that in a given year, there are rare occurrences like this year's three-game homestand for the Bucs, or rarer still, Tampa Bay and the Saints playing twice in a span of three weekends.

The Bucs and Saints meet Sunday in Tampa, and then again in New Orleans in Week 16 -- less than two weeks off because teams play on a Saturday, Dec. 24 to avoid a Christmas kickoff -- and that happens just one other time in the entire NFL this year. The Broncos and Chargers played in Weeks 6 and 8, with only one other instance of teams even playing three weeks apart, as the Lions and Vikings in Weeks 9 and 12....

Bucs receiver Adam Humphries remains in concussion protocol, but took a step toward playing again when he returned to practice Thursday afternoon.

Humphries took a hit on a third-down play in the second quarter of Sunday's win at San Diego and did not return. The Bucs have already placed receiver Cecil Shorts, who suffered a major knee injury in Sunday's win, on injured reserve, promoting Josh Huff from the practice squad to replace him....

For most NFL teams, going for a two-point conversion is an odd quirk, mandated by the scoreboard late in a game and causing stress even for coaches who have had success with the occasional attempt, like the Bucs' Dirk Koetter.

"The two-point thing, it's an interesting little strategy side-light of the whole NFL," Koetter said Wednesday. "It doesn't come up in every game, and when it does, it can definitely throw the game into disarray."...

TAMPA — Whether Doug Martin watched most of the final 20 minutes of Sunday's win at San Diego on the bench because of injury or ineffectiveness, the Bucs could be shaking up their duties at running back this week.

Martin gained just 22 yards on his final 13 carries Sunday, and he played one snap in the fourth quarter after he said he was "bent back" and limped off the field. Martin wasn't listed on the Bucs' injury report Wednesday, however, and offensive coordinator Todd Monken suggested there might be more work for backup Jacquizz Rodgers....

The shooting deaths of two former NFL players in New Orleans this year have brought headlines about gun violence in his city, and Saints quarterback Drew Brees, coming to face the Bucs in Tampa on Sunday, said Wednesday that the issue remains a difficult one on a personal level.

"It's a tragedy, an absolute tragedy," Brees said on a conference call with Tampa reporters. "You hate to see that, and these are two high-profile cases, but this kind of stuff happens every day in a lot of places. It's not just New Orleans. The crime rate in New Orleans is down quite a bit over the last four years. Obviously when something like this happens ... it's really tragic."...

The Bucs' return to the practice fields Wednesday afternoon brought good news on the injury front, as RB Doug Martin and DE Will Gholston, who had injury questions after Sunday's win at San Diego, were both participating in practice.

Martin, who said he was "bent back" in the third quarter and played only one snap in the final 20 minutes, didn't appear to have any limitations. Gholston, who had six tackles in the Bucs' win, was on crutches in the locker room with his left foot in a boot, but was practicing and looked fine Wednesday....

A knee injury ended his season two months ago, but for the fourth year in a row, receiver Vincent Jackson has been honored as the Bucs' Man of the Year and their nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Jackson, 33, continues to lead the team's community outreach efforts with his Jackson in Action 83 Foundation, which works with military personnel and their families. He has won the Bucs' honor four years in a row -- the last player to even have three was John Lynch from 2001-03....

TAMPA — Four weeks after signing him to their practice squad, the Bucs promoted former Eagles wide receiver Josh Huff to their 53-man roster Tuesday, replacing veteran Cecil Shorts, who is headed to injured reserve after a significant knee injury in Sunday's win at San Diego.

Huff, 25, could help the Bucs on offense and on special teams, where he could be an upgrade on kickoff returns. Huff was cut by the Eagles after an arrest on gun and marijuana charges but now gets a second chance with Tampa Bay, which finished Sunday's game with only three healthy receivers....

Four weeks after signing him to their practice squad, the Bucs have promoted former Eagles receiver Josh Huff to their 53-man roster, replacing veteran Cecil Shorts, who is headed to injured reserve following a significant knee injury in Sunday's win at San Diego.

Huff, 25, could help the Bucs on offense and on special teams, where he could be an upgrade on kickoff returns. Huff was cut by the Eagles after an arrest on gun and marijuana charges, but now gets a second chance with Tampa Bay, which finished Sunday's game with only three healthy receivers....

TAMPA — With Cecil Shorts done for the year with a major knee injury and Adam Humphries in concussion protocol, the Bucs are again scrambling to replenish an already depleted group of receivers as they go for their fifth straight win Sunday at home against the Saints.

"We're concerned. We finished the game with three wide receivers," coach Dirk Koetter said of Sunday's 28-21 win at San Diego. "I think we'll be okay."...

Bucs stars like receiver Mike Evans and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy are probably headed to this year's Pro Bowl in Orlando, but the team has only a modest presence in the early fan voting for the game.

The NFL released the initial top five in voting at each of 19 different positions, and of those 93 players, only one -- Kwon Alexander, fourth among inside linebackers -- came from the Bucs. Evans, among the NFL leaders in touchdown catches, receptions and yards, wasn't among the top five at receiver, and McCoy, leading NFL defensive tackles with seven sacks, wasn't among the top five there. Alexander has 93,843 votes at the current count, less than half of the position leader, Carolina's Luke Kuechly....

Bucs receiver Cecil Shorts, who suffered a major and season-ending injury to his right knee in Sunday's win at San Diego, posted a video Monday, thanking fans for their support and making it clear the hit he was injured on "definitely wasn't dirty."

Shorts hurt his knee on the Bucs' third play Sunday and tore all three major ligaments in his knee while dislocating it, a longterm injury for the 28-year-old, in his first year with the Bucs....

With injuries hitting the Bucs hard at receiver, Freddie Martino came up with his first NFL catch four weeks ago, then his first touchdown in a rout of the Bears.

But he had only those two career catches entering Sunday's game, when two more Bucs receivers went down with injuries, first Cecil Shorts with a significant knee injury, then Adam Humphries to a concussion. Martino stepped up in a big way, finishing with four catches for 56 yards -- leading all Bucs receivers -- to help Tampa Bay to a 28-21 win at the Chargers and help its playoff chances....

SAN DIEGO — Seconds before he made a leaping interception in the end zone to clinch the Bucs' 28-21 win Sunday, S Keith Tandy told teammate Vernon Hargreaves exactly what play was coming based on the alignment he saw from the Chargers' offense.

"I told Hargreaves, 'Watch this route,' and they ran the exact route," said Tandy, who picked off QB Philip Rivers with 2:50 left after the Chargers had driven to the Bucs 31-yard line....